Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say About the Jews by Joseph Telushkin Search Amazon for other books by or about Joseph Telushkin. Rating: Reviewed by: John L. Hoh, Jr.

Jewish comics are familiar to many of us. Jerry Seinfeld, Woody Allen, Sam Levinson, among others, are names familiar to all of us. Their humor is based upon their Jewishness. Movies such as Brighton Beach Memoirs are based on Jewish identity and humor. Just what makes this, uh, ethnic(?) humor what it is?

First, the word "ethnic" comes from the Greek "ethnos," meaning "people." It was used in the Septuagint to denote the "goi," the Gentiles. Thus, technically speaking, there can be no "ethnic Judaism." But English usage being what it is, we bear with those using the term "ethnic Jew."

Rabbi Telushkin looks at all aspects of Jewish humor: parent-child humor, the "my son is a doctor" humor, why isn't my child married humor, Jewish intelligence humor, and on and on.

Ironically, some of the best pieces of humor come from unlikely places, namely the suffering of the Jewish people. Maybe there is something to humor being a coping mechanism instilled in us by our Creator.

I enjoyed hearing familiar jokes, reading new ones, and the look into the culture that has produced a unique form of humor which Americans have come to embrace.